Theres Snow Freeze Bread Deliveries Thanks To Warburtons Scotland

Thursday, 21 January 2010

Delivery drivers from Warburtons Bellshill bakery and its Eurocentral depot in Lanarkshire battled extreme weather conditions throughout Scotland last week to deliver a record 1.5 million loaves to retailers across the country.

Employees from the family bakers have been working tirelessly around-the-clock during the 'Big Freeze', with many going the extra mile in order to keep the region's supermarket shelves stacked with fresh bread.

And, with demand increasing as the big chill takes a hold on the country and more bad weather is predicted, their efforts are set to continue.

Ian Connell, general manager, Warburtons Scotland, said today: "It has been a challenging few weeks for deliveries across the country, but we have been bowled over by our employee's dedication, determination and commitment to getting products to our customers.

"On an average day our drivers leave the bakery at 4am, due to the snowfall, at times, some of our vehicles have not left till 7am and journey times have at least trebled in many cases due to the conditions on the roads.

"We've heard some heart-warming tales of drivers going above and beyond the call of duty to meet their deliveries. There have been many unsung heroes in our distribution fleet including one of our drivers, Iain Martin, who delivers bread from our Bellshill bakery to customers in Dumfries and Galloway. Iain battled freezing temperatures to make his delivery to the local store in Leadhills, which is officially the highest village in Scotland at more than 1500 feet above sea level. Warburtons bread was the only delivery which got through to the village that day. Locals were so impressed with Iain's efforts that he received a round of applause as he got to the store!"

With bread orders on the increase due to the conditions staying put across the country the company is gearing up for a busy week ahead.

Ian added: "We will do everything within our power to ensure the conditions cause as little disruption as possible."

Warburtons Scotland serves customers as far North as the Shetland Islands, down to Gretna in the South.

Notes to Editor:

Warburtons is the UK's leading independent baker and was established in a grocery shop in Bolton in 1876 by Thomas and Ellen Warburton.

Today the business is actively run by the fifth generation of the Warburton family - Jonathan, Brett and Ross.

Warburtons is one of the UK's Top 5 grocery brands.

With thirteen bakeries and thirteen depots around the UK, Warburtons produces over two million loaves, rolls and crumpets every day and in the UK we eat the equivalent of nine million large loaves of bread on a daily basis.

On an average weekday, Warburtons delivers 2,200,000 bread products to multiple and independent retailers across the country.

On Wednesday, 6th January, despite the extreme conditions across the country over three million products were delivered nationwide.